Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 6 1888.djvu/233

Rh Glannan, and bring her bound to the inn at Inveran. He procured a "brown, right-sided maned horse," and a brown black-muzzled dog, and by the help of the latter, having secured the Vaugh, he tied her on the horse behind him, and galloped away. She was very fierce, but he kept her quiet by pinning her down with an awl and a needle. Crossing the burn at the further side of Loch Migdall, she became so restless that he stuck the shoemaker's and the tailor's weapons into her with great violence. She cried out, "Och! och! cur anum am minme crourm; L' cum asum au' hail chiul rouach" which is, being interpreted, "Pierce me with the crooked awl, but keep that small sharp needle out of me."

When he reached the clachan of Inveran, where his companions were anxiously waiting for him, he called out to them to come out and see the Vaugh. Then they came out, with lights, but as the light fell upon her she dropped off, and fell to earth, like the remains of a fallen star,—a small lump of jelly.

[These jellies are often seen on the moors, and are called "dropped stars."]

viii.—.

In the MoulinnaGleannan there lived long ago a cripple of the name of Murray; better known as AllaynaMoulin. He was maintained by the charity of the miller, and of his neighbours, who, when they removed their meal, put each a handful into the lamiter's bag. This lad slept usually in the mill, and it came to pass that one night who should enter but the brolachan, the son of the Vaugh. Now the brolachan has eyes and a mouth, and can say two words only, "myself" and "yourself." Besides that he has no speech, and also no shape. He lay all his lubber length by the dying fire, and Murray threw a fresh peat on the embers, which made them fly about, red-hot, till brolachan was severely burnt. So he screamed in an awful way, and soon comes the Vaugh, very fierce, crying, "Och! my brolachan, who then burnt you?" But all he could say was "me," and then he said "you"; and she replied, "Were it any other, would not I be revenged." Murray slipped the peck measure over himself, and hid among the machinery, so as to look as like a sack as possible,